INDIAN & INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL NEWS - APRIL : 2014

For the second successive year, Pune Football Club will continue its endeavour to support school football as they partner the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services, Pune, Maharashtra in conducting the 59th National School Football Under-17,19 Girls and Under-19 Boys Championship 2013-14, beginning Saturday.

The School Games Federation of India (SGFI) event will feature 58 teams from 25 states across the three age-group sections. The tournament will be played on a league cum knock out basis on four grounds; two at the Pune FC training pitches at Mamurdi and two at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex respectively.

Says Pune FC Head Operation, Chirag Tanna, 'It's an honour to be associated with the sport we so passionately love and promote right through our youth system.'Pune FC's support to the event is based on its philosophy of encouraging talent at school level which forms the base of grassroots development.

In the Under-19 Boys section, 25 teams are divided into eight groups of three each and with four. Similarly, in the girls section of same age group 19 teams are in fray and divided into six groups. The Under-17 girls section will be contested among 14 teams divided into 4 groups.

The Under-17 section will be devoid of last year's winners Manipur and runners up Nagaland leaving third placed Haryana as the top bet. Hosts Maharashtra have been clubbed in Group-D along with Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab. The Under-19 girls section will have Haryana out to defend their crown in the absence of runners up Jharkhand who have skipped the event. Last-year's semifinalists Maharashtra and Odisha will hope to go one step further. The hosts are clubbed along with Vidya Bharathi and Punjab in Group-C.

The Under-19 boys section has both finalists Punjab (champions) and Odisha (runners-up) along with Kerala and Delhi (semifinalists) make up a strong challenge in the section. Maharashtra find themselves placed along with Odisha and Vidya Bharathi on Group-D. The official kick off of the event will be the Under-19 girls section Group-C match between hosts Maharashtra and Vidya Bharathi at 6.30 am at the main stadium, Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex.

Maharashtra Under-19 boys will face Odisha at 10.00 am at the Pune FC Training Pitches in Mamurdi in their Group-D opener. Maharashtra Under-17 girls will face Gujarat in their Group-D opener at the warm-up tracks in the Balewadi Stadium at 4.30 pm.

PFC PRESS RELEASE : : Pune FC, the city's first professional football club, is giving its loyal fans a chance to pick the design of their adidas-sponsored home, away and third jersey, to be worn during the 2014-15 season.

According to the greats of the game, "giving everything for the shirt" is a player's motto. In other words, the jersey is everything a team stands for. It's worn with pride with the crest close to the heart, and adidas, the most exciting sports brand is set to take this passion to the next level.

For the first time in the club's history, fans can vote between four design choices shortlisted by adidas and the Pune FC management. Both parties, on Thursday, launched a fan outreach program, inviting all fans to vote for their favorite kit(s).

Talking about the program, Nandan Piramal, Owner, Pune FC added; "We are very proud and happy to get our fans involved in selection of the 2014-15 Pune FC kit. Our fans have always been an integral part of our club and this contest showcases our continued efforts in engaging with our fans."

"Adidas have been the perfect partners for Pune FC. They have supported all our efforts from nurturing young talent to creating such impactful programs to connect with our fans. I already have eyes set on my favourite team kit and will be one of the first fans to vote."

Tushar Goculdas, Brand Director - adidas India said, "Pune FC is one of the top football clubs in the country, with a huge base of passionate fans. We've shared a fantastic partnership with the club since 2011, supporting them with our cutting edge football gear and helping develop their youth teams through our world class scouting and training programs."

"Today, we are taking this relationship the next level with exciting fan engagement programs and giving back to the fans of the club."

Through this latest initiative, we are inviting the fans to go all in and play a vital role in deciding the new look for their team. This is just the beginning of what's in store for Pune FC fans and we are excited to see which design gets the maximum votes."